Toy cycle construction

ABSTRACT

A toy cycle in which the front wheel assembly is pivotably connected to the vehicle body for steering the vehicle and the pair of wheels carried by the front wheel assembly are mounted on a drive shaft journalled in the assembly, one wheel being drivable thereby. A pair of driving pedals are mounted on the drive shaft for driving the drive shaft to drive the drive wheel forwardly. Pivotal connecting means between the front wheel assembly and vehicle body are positioned rearwardly of the drive shaft whereby the vehicle has a small turning radius without cramping a driver&#39;&#39;s leg movement on the driving pedals.

[11] 3,827,719 [451' Aug. 6, 1974 TOY CYCLE CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventors: Raymond J. Lohr; James Smith,

both of Erie, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Louis Marx & Co., Inc., New York,

22 Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 294,127

[52] US. Cl 280/259, 280/267, 280/282, 280/400, 280/511 [51] Int. Cl B62m l/02, B62k 5/08 [58'] Field of Search 280/259, 267, 282, 270, 280/268, 269, 263, 511, 400

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,691 10/1880 Palmer 280/259 1,196,129 8/1916 McCormick 280/282 1,546,797 7/1925 Schmiers 280/267 1,738,110 12/1929 Meyers 280/259 1,808,887 6/1931 Dunkley 280/270 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 413,721 5/1946 Italy 280/281 Primary ExaminerDavid Schonberg Assistant ExaminerJohn P. Silverstrim Attorney, Agent, or FirmBlum Moscovitz Friedman & Kaplan [5 7 ABSTRACT A toy cycle in which the front wheel assembly is pivotably connected to the vehicle body for steering the vehicle and the pair of wheels carried by the front wheel assembly are mounted on a drive shaft journalled in the assembly, one wheel being drivable thereby. A pair of driving pedals are mounted on the drive shaft for driving the drive shaft to drive the drive wheel forwardly. Pivotal connecting means between the front wheel assembly and vehicle body are positioned rearwardly of the drive shaft whereby the vehicle has a small turning radius without cramping a drivers leg movement on the driving pedals.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 74 SNEEY 2 BF 2 TOY CYCLE CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a toy cycle and the construction thereof. More particularly, the invention is directed to a four-wheel beginners cycle drivable by I direct pedal action on the front two wheels with im- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a vehicle body forming the seat of the cycle is provided with a pair of rear, free wheeling, ground engaging wheels. A front wheel assembly carrying dual ground engaging front wheels is pivotably connected to the vehicle body to effect steering of the cycle through movement of the entire front wheel assembly. Foot operable drive means propel the vehicle forwardly or rearwardly.

Briefly, the front wheels are mounted on a drive shaft journalled in the assembly, at least one wheel being drivable thereby and at least one other being free wheeling. Preferably one pair of front wheels are mounted on the drive shaft, one wheel being drivable thereby and the other being free wheeling. A pair of driving pedals are mounted on the drive shaft for rotating the drive shaft to drive the drive wheel forwardly or rearwardly, as desired. Pivotal connecting means between the front wheel assembly and vehicle body are positioned rearwardly of the drive shaft whereby the vehicle shows a small turning radius without cramping a drivers leg movement on the driving pedals. A seat adapted to carry a small child is defined in the surface of the vehicle body and contoured handle bars are fixedly mounted on the front wheel assembly whereby the direction in which the toy cycle is driven may be controlled. The juxtaposition of handle bar and seat prevents a child from sitting too far forwardly on the vehicle body and the concomitant center of gravity of the occupied cycle is oriented rearwardly on the vehicle body whereby forward tipping of the cycle, when occupied, is minimized.

Since only one of the two front wheels is preferably driven by the drive shaft, proper driving action as a result of different speeds of rotation of the wheels will be maintained when the vehicle is turned sharply left or right. This not only makes the vehicle easier to pedal, but contributes to its stability.

Accordingly, the cycle is preferably of safe fourwheel construction, two front wheels and two rear wheels. The cycle is preferably provided with a one-wheel drive to effect stability as the cycle is sharply turned. The cycle seat and handle bar are juxtaposed to provide a low rearward center of gravity for the cycle when occupied and thereby minimize, if not entirely prevent, forward tipping of the vehicle as driven. Additionally, the rearward pivot point between the vehicle body and front wheel assembly provides the vehicle with a small turning radius while at the same time permitting the child occupant to drive the drive pedals in comfort.

The invention accordingly, comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy vehicle constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view, at an enlarged scale, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an assembly detail of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a partial top plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A toy cycle indicated generally at 10 has a vehicle body 12 and front wheel assembly 14 formed entirely of plastic material with the body and assembly preferably being of hollow construction. The upper surface of the vehicle body 12 is formed to define a seat portion 16 on which a child will sit while riding on the cycle. A through axle 18 is journalled in vehicle body 12 at the lower end rear portion thereof and mounted for free rotation on the ends of axle 18 are rear ground engaging wheels 20, 20'. As shown in FIG. 1, rear wheels 20, 20 are carried on opposite sides of vehicle body 12 by axle 18.

Vehicle body 12 is mounted on wheel assembly 14 at the front end thereof for pivotal movement along a generally vertical axis as will be hereinafter described. Front wheel assembly 14 carries a pair of ground engaging front wheels 22, 22 on which the cycle is propelled by a foot operable mechanical drive directly connected to wheel 22 which is driven thereby. Configured drive shaft 24 is journalled in front wheel assembly 14 and front wheels 22, 22' are mounted on opposed ends thereof on either side of front wheel assembly 14. Front wheel 22 is mounted on one end of drive shaft 24 for free rotation thereon; whereas front wheel 22' is fixedly attached to the other end thereof, for instance, by providing front wheel 22 with a radial female slot 26 adapted to receive and engage a portion of drive shaft 24. Drive shaft 24 is provided with a pair of recesses 28, 28 one on each side of front housing 30, and assumes a crank-like configuration. A pair of driving pedals 32, 32' are rotatably mounted in recesses 28, 28 and are adapted to receive an oscillating foot pressure for cranking the drive shaft 24 to drive front wheel 22'. Front wheel assembly 14 is pivoted about its vertical axis by suitable operation of handle bar 34 and driving action of front wheel 22' is effected by rotating drive shaft 24 by sequentially applying pressure to drive pedals 32, 32.

Front wheel assembly 14 includes a generally hollow housing 30 preferably formed of plastic material. Housing 30 terminates in an upwardly projecting nub 33 adapted to receive slot 35 formed in handle bar 34. Housing 30 includes a transverse wall 36 extending rearwardly thereof and defining a thrust bearing surface on which pivot 38 is vertically mounted.

Pivot 38 includes cylindrical base 39 mounted on transverse wall 36. Truncated conical body 40 is mounted on cylindrical base 39 and cylindrical head 41 is mounted thereon and is coaxial with base 39 but of lesser diameter than base 39. Foot 42 is mounted on lateral wall 36 and connected at one end to base 39. Cylindrical base 39, conical body 40 and cylindrical head 41 may all be integrally connected or alternatively each element may be separately formed and the elements may be arranged, as desired.

Referring now to FIG. 1, vehicle body 12 includes a generally hollow housing 17 preferably a continuous web of plastic material having integrally formed leg 44 and base 46 members joined at one end thereof in elbow 48. The free end of base 46 terminates in a pair of opposed integrally formed fin sections 50, 50' generally normal to base 46 and extending laterally therefrom. Seat 16 is defined in leg member 44 and is adapted to carry a small child. The free end of leg member 44 has a pair of concentric apertures defined therein arranged to receive pivot 38. Concentric apertures 54, 56 define a pair of continuous lips 55, 57 adapted to rotatably engage head 41 and base 39, respectively, of pivot 38 so as to permit wheel assembly 14 to pivot relative to vehicle body 12. Continuous lip 57 is provided with segmental slot 58 defined by continuous side wall 59 and opposed end walls 60, 61. As vehicle body 12 is mounted on front wheel assembly 14 and concentric apertures 54, 56 receive pivot 38, foot 42 is aligned in segmental slot 58 whereby opposed end walls 60, 61 limit the pivotal movement of front wheel assembly 14 relative to vehicle body 12 as foot 42 cams through segmental slot 58.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, horizontal upper wall 45 of leg 44 is recessed along the perimeter of aperture 54 for receiving head plate 47 therein. Cylindrical head 41 of pivot 38 and head plate 47 are apertured and when vehicle body 12 is received on pivot 38, through concentric apertures 54, 56 head plate 47 is received in the recess in horizontal upper wall 45 and fastened to pivot 38 by threaded screws 65 threaded through aligned apertures in head plate 47 and cylindrical head 41.

During shipment, front wheel assembly 14 is completely disconnected from vehicle body 12. As shown in FIG. 3, in order to assemble the front wheel assembly to the vehicle body, it is merely necessary to insert pivot 38 through concentric apertures 54, 56, in vehicle body 12, insert head plate 47 in the peripheral reinterchangeably hereafter in the specification and claims.

The foregoing construction allows for a minimum of interconnected parts and such parts may be inexpensively made from readily available materials. For instance, the front and rear wheels. housing 30, handle bar 34 and vehicle body 12 may all be inexpensively molded of plastic material. The parts are light weight, resilient and shock absorbent and the manner of their interconnection provides a durable and stable beginner's cycle which is easily manuevered in any desired direction.

It will thus be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the bove construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a rear body unit carrying a pair of ground engaging carriage wheels; a front body unit carrying at least one ground engaging drive wheel and at least one ground engaging carriage wheel; a

, drive shaft, having opposed outer ends, journalled in cess surrounding concentric aperture 54, align respective apertures in head plate 47 with apertures in cylindrical head 41 and secure screws 65 therein. With two basic elements all formed of plastic material, a secure but pivotable assembly is easily effected with the weight of vehicle body 12 applied to front wheel assembly 14 being born by engagement between lower horizontal wall 66 of leg 44 and transverse wall 36 of front wheel assembly 14.

Hereafter in the specification and claims, the terms front wheel assembly and front body unit may be used interchangeably and the terms rear body unit and vehicle body may be used interchangeably, all such terms being interchangeable without regard for the context of their usage. Additionally, the terms carriage wheel and. free wheeling" wheel are to be used said front body unit, said at least one drive Wheel being fixedly attached thereto at one of said opposed outer ends for rotation thereby, said at least one carriage wheel being mounted for free rotation on the other of said opposed outer ends; a pair of driving members mounted on said drive shaft substantially aligned in spaced relation from respective opposed outer ends of said drive shaft; and connecting means acting between said front body unit and said rear body unit for pivotably connecting said front and rear body units about a generally vertical pivotal axis whereby to effect a steering of said toy vehicle, said vertical pivotal axis being rearward of a vertical projection of said drive shaft, said connecting means being substantially vertically mounted on a thrust bearing surface of said front body unit, said thrust bearing surface extending substantially normally and rearwardly of said drive shaft, said connecting means comprising a cylindrical base portion mounted on said thrust bearing surface; a truncated conical body portion mounted on said cylindrical base portion; and a cylindrical head portion mounted on said body portion and coaxial with said base portion but of lesser diameter than said base portion; and a head plate arranged for maintaining said rear body unit pivotably engaged on said connecting means.

2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 including a handle bar, said handle bar being mounted on said front body unit for steering said toy vehicle, said handle bar extending rearwardly of lateral extensions thereof whereby a child is caused to sit rearwardly of said front body unit.

3. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 said rearbody comprising a continuous web having integrally formed leg and base members joined at one end thereof in an elbow and having respective free ends; said free end of said base portion terminating in a pair of opposed integrally formed fin sections generally normal thereto and extending laterally therefrom; a seat defined in said leg member adapted to carry a child; said free end of said leg member having a pair of concentric apertures formed therein arranged to receive said connecting means.

4. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 3 including a foot mounted on said thrust bearing surface and connected to said base portion of said connecting means.

5. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4, said concentric apertures defining a pair of continuous lips adapted to rotatably engage said base and head portions of said connecting means so as to permit said front body to pivot relative to said rear body.

6. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 5, said continuous lip rotatably engaging said base portion of said connecting means being provided with a segmental slot along a segment thereof, said segmental slot being defined by a side wall and a pair of opposed end walls, said segmental slot being arranged to receive said foot connected to said base portion of said connecting means whereby said opposed end walls limit the pivotal movement of said front body relative to said rear body as said foot cams through said segmental slot. 

1. A toy vehicle comprising a rear body unit carrying a pair of ground engaging carriage wheels; a front body unit carrying at least one ground engaging drive wheel and at least one ground engaging carriage wheel; a drive shaft, having opposed outer ends, journalled in said front body unit, said at least one drive wheel being fixedly attached thereto at one of said opposed outer ends for rotation thereby, said at least one carriage wheel being mounted for free rotation on the other of said opposed outer ends; a pair of driving members mounted on said drive shaft substantially aligned in spaced relation from respective opposed outer ends of said drive shaft; and connecting means acting between said front body unit and said rear body unit for pivotably connecting said front and rear body units about a generally vertical pivotal axis whereby to effect a steering of said toy vehicle, said vertical pivotal axis being rearward of a vertical projection of said drive shaft, said connecting means being substantially vertically mounted on a thrust bearing surface of said front body unit, said thrust bearing surface extending substantially normally and rearwardly of said drive shaft, said connecting means comprising a cylindrical base portion mounted on said thrust bearing surface; a truncated conical body portion mounted on said cylindrical base portion; and a cylindrical head portion mounted on said body portion and coaxial with said base portion but of lesser diameter than said base portion; and a head plate arranged for maintaining said rear body unit pivotably engaged on said connecting means.
 2. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 including a handle bar, said handle bar being mounted on said front body unit for steering said toy vehicle, said handle bar extending rearwardly of lateral extensions thereof whereby a child is caused to sit rearwardly of said front body unit.
 3. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1 said rear body comprising a continuous web having integrally formed leg and base members joined at one end thereof in an elbow and having respective free ends; said free end of said base portion terminating in a pair of opposed integrally formed fin sections generally normal thereto and extending laterally therefrom; a seat defined in said leg member adapted to carry a child; said free end of said leg member having a pair of concentric apertures formed therein arranged to receive said connecting means.
 4. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 3 including a foot mounted on said thrust bearing surface and connected to said base portion of said connecting means.
 5. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4, said concentric apertures defining a pair of continuous lips adapted to rotatably engage said base and head portions of said connecting means so as to permit said front body to pivot relative to said rear body.
 6. A toy vehicle as claimed in claim 5, said continuous lip rotatably engaging said base portion of said connecting means being provided with a segmental slot along a segment thereof, said segmental slot being defined by a side wall and a pair of opposed end walls, said segmental slot being arranged to receive said foot connected to said base portion of said connecting means whereby said opposed end walls limit the pivotal movement of said front body relative to said rear body as said foot cams through said segmental slot. 